What to bring

What to bring

Welcome aboard!

Visitors to Vagabund needn’t bring much.  Be sure to pack airy and light. Typical temperatures vary between 24‑34°C.

We don't really have room to store hard suitcases, so please use soft-sided (collapsible) containers that we can store away. Keep a duffle bag as a hand carry-on with 2 day’s clothes, as the airlines are less likely to lose or delay it.

Traveling to South America: Yellow fever injection for Brazil a month before your visit.

Basic checklist for a 7-10 day visit:

Light shirts and/or T-shirts - 4 or 5.

Underwear - 4 sets (you can wash them as you shower).

Pajamas - as you like.  

Nice shorts, with pockets for wallet, etc. - 2 pair.

Running type shorts - light & comfortable - 1 pair.

Slops and/or Croc type sandals (synthetic) - 1 pair (see below).

Light evening attire for going out to dinner (usually informal)

Polarized Sunglasses with straps.

Sun hat that can take wind (sailing and dinghy) -

Sun block - waterproof SPF 45 or better.

Camera - Digital is best (bring your download cable and battery charger!)

Swim suits - 2-3 as you prefer.

Sun dresses / skirts - only if desired (see below).

Windbreaker that can stand warm rain.

Toiletries - whatever you need, including medications, reading glasses, etc

Towels: 3, one for bath and two for swimming

Snorkeling and scuba gear – We have 4 sets on board.

Passports and Injection card

Dollars and Visa or Master card Credit/debit card that works in an ATM.

Waterproof bag: One small to use for cell phones and cameras when on dingy.

Grocery bags like Woolworths or Pick’Pay: The bags you buy at the paying points of Woolworths that you get in all the different colours (not plastic bags). They are very useful for to use as a beach bag, when we go out and buy groceries (to use to carry the groceries in). 2 per person.

General info:

Laundry: Laundry is a hassle, taking about 1 hour (and 80    liter of valuable water) for a small 3 kg load.  But we usually have enough fresh water on board for small quantities of hand washing.  If you can, please bring clothes that you can hand wash easily, and that dry quickly.  We can supply linen but bring three towels. The towels must be thin so it can dry fast. Best is to buy the cheapest towels because they are thinner.

Medicine (except for prescription medications - in original bottle)

Shoes:  To protect our varnished floor and to keep the boat clean, we do not wear shoes on board. Make sure that what you bring can take getting wet.  Please don't bring leather or fully enclosed shoes.

Skirts & Dresses:  Some areas are fairly conservative, especially the Muslim and ex-British countries.  When we go to town in such places, Magda will usually wear a sun-dress.

Money:  We get our money down here by using the ATMs and our credit/debit cards.  We do not recommend travelers cheques of any sort as they are usually difficult to convert to local currency.  The ink is also water soluble, a little known fact.  U.S. cash dollars are much better, and work in most places.

While we're on the subject of money, many friends ask us how much money they need to bring.  We're not running a charter business, so we appreciate contributions.  We've found that it costs us about $25-30 per person per day to live on board.  That figure includes all food and consumables, but no shore excursions like drinks ashore, meals out, or rental cars. 

Snorkeling gear:  We spend a lot of time in the water - it's one of our favorite activities.  We have 4 sets of snorkeling gear on board, but if you have a set (or even pieces) that you like, bring them along. 

Food: Depending on where we are, the grocery stores vary widely in selections. Vegetarian is no problem.  Gluten-free is difficult please advise if you have any dietary needs.

What not to bring:

We generate most of our electricity from solar panels. 

Generator: We can generate 220vAC if we have to, but it's expensive and not on all the time. There is a hairdryer for use, but only with the genset running.

Computers: This environment is not especially friendly to computers and you're welcome to use one of ours.

If you want to download your digital camera, it's probably easier to just put the pictures on our computer and we'll make you a CD or DVD when you leave.  

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Rules of the boat practical and social

 Sailing guests

They are written with the novice in mind and considering that the voyage will most likely not be a day sail. These boat rules cover the practical and social rules of the boat.

The motto of the boat is. “The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask”. So curious minds are very welcome.

The skipper is responsible for the safety of the boat and all persons on board. Sadly, a nautical vessel is not a democracy; the skippers decisions regarding the boat may be discussable but not negotiable. The skipper will make decisions, keeping safety as a highest priority. This may mean changing plans to routes, altering crew arrangements, allocating maintenance and safety tasks, commencing safety drills and many other decisions that involve not only the safely of the boat but social harmony as well.

Men, when underway, please sit down to use the head.

Ladies, sanitary items must not be flushed in the head.

Too much toilet paper can block the head. If you block the head, you will be given the plunger and tools to unblock it

Many people get seasick. It usually only lasts a day or two. Alcohol the night before we sail will guarantee a very unpleasant first few days. Please use the bucket and not the toilet if you get seasick. Not pleasant to clean the toilet if you fee unwell.

Night watches, it is customary that as your watch is nearing its end, that you boil the jug and have a fresh cup of coffee/tea ready for the new watch crew. During a night watch try to keep chatter and noise to a minimum to allow those sleeping to enjoy their rest.

Man Over board procedure in brief. Shout man overboard as loud as possible to alert all crew. Throw the life bouy. Hit the MOB button the gps, have someone point continuously at the MOB. At night or dusk, if possible, throw a water proof torch towards the mob also. Make sure it is turned on as you throw it. Return the boat to the mob and recover. If you are the MOB, swim to the life buoy, collect the torch which should be floating nearby. Shine the torch towards the boat, but not at the helmsman (you will blind him/her). Stay put, once you have the life buoy you won’t sink. Don’t waste valuable energy trying to swim to the boat. We will come to you. Keep in the foetal position if possible- to conserve heat. Ask us to provide additional drills if you are unsure of any of this.

Men Peeing overboard. The only time this is allowed is during the day in fair weather and only when another person is in the cockpit. Else it’s down to the head please boys. There have been a lot of drowned men found with their flies open. Oh and for your own sake, never pee into the wind 

One hand for you and one for the boat. This is an old saying. But it’s still very valuable. Basically, make sure you have a good hand hold at all times as you move about the boat.

Injuries-medical emergencies. Report all injuries to the skipper. And make sure they are logged with times, what happened, nature of problem, pain management, symptoms etc in case we need the information for further medical assistance.

Please make sure all medical conditions and allergies is reported before the trip. If you are carrying special remedy (injections, asma pumps ect) please inform others of the where a boats and recommended applications.

Meals before we sail. As mentioned seasickness can occur, reducing your hunger. We try to have lots of carb’s the day and night before a long trip to provide sustained energy.

Personal space. Each berth becomes someones temporary home. Please respect their home and their space and ask before using that space for any reason. Personal stuff must be kept in the cabins to prevent the saloon to be overcrowded by stuff.

There are many dangers on board, from being hit by the boom to sunburn to falling down a hatch to kicking your toes on deck fittings. You will be briefed on these dangers. But always keep an eye on others as they move about the boat and alert them of any possible danger you see 

Harnesses. These must be worn at all times at night and in bad weather. You must clip on prior to going forward on the deck during all night and bad weather legs.

Life jackets. The skipper may decide that life jackets must be worn for whatever reason. 

Other safety equipment. They are many forms of safety equipment on board the boat. We will brief you on the location and how to use each item. If at any time you need to revise your knowledge please ask us. Remember The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask. And we would much prefer someone to say ‘ I don’t understand’ rather than not be able to use the equipment during an emergency.

Make a mess, clean it up. I guess we don’t have to explain this one too much. But junk becomes a hazard at sea. Make sure you put things away after you have used them. This includes personal items, cups and general boat equipment.

When you are the helmsman, it’s ok to ask another crewman to get you a drink or something from the galley. It’s ok to ask someone to take over for a while, while you go to the bathroom also. Everyone understands that the position of helmsman requires concentration and you will concentrate better with a nice cool drink, a snack or an empty bladder. The main thing is to never leave the helm unmanned.

Waste. No plastics ever go overboard. Food scraps are usually ok if they are something the fish will enjoy. Mid ocean, metal cans and biodegradables like cardboard/paper can go overboard. But never near a coast and never around wildlife could that mistake the waste as food.

Smoking is not allowed on the yacht at any time due to the risk of fire.

Overview. We are a team of new friends on the adventure of a lifetime You’re an important part of our lives and our team. We all pull our weight and share the same tasks and duties with the goal of a safe, harmonious and enjoyable experience.

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Wind in the Sails

12 Feb 2011

Written by Jonathan Booysen

Hendrik McCarthy had arranged a fishing trip for Saturday the 12^th February 2011 with his good friend Zack on Zack’s Yacht “Vagabund”. Zack was super keen to fish for marlin and he had bought a few nice lures and good tackle for the job. The yacht was not rigged for fishing so on the Friday; we made a few make shift plans and discussed the drill for the next day. I have never fished for marlin on a yacht before so I knew we were in for some interesting times if we hooked up.

At 4:30am on Saturday morning, Ettiene de Villiers and I arrived at the mooring of the Zululand Yacht Club. We met up with Hendrik and his wife Cornelia and Zack and his wife Magda. After a quick safety brief, we cast off and slowly headed out the harbour. The plan was to head north in the shallows and then head offshore into the current and work our way back.

The trip north was like no other I have had before. The yacht had two 30HP motors in it so our top speed was only about 6 to 7 knots. I am used to running up north at speed and setting lines within half an hour of leaving the harbour. Not on this trip! We had no option but to relax and enjoy the trip. This did however have its perks. The warm oats breakfast and cup of coffee en route to the fishing grounds was a nice bonus while we watched several ski-boats shoot past us with the crew holding on for dear life and ducking for the spray coming over the nose.

At 8:30am, we were in 60m of water near Dawsons. The water was a strange colour with a tint of green. We set the four lines, two 50Lbs rigs with small lures and two 80Lbs rigs with larger lures. I also put out a string of teasers. There were no outriggers so the lines were run directly from the rod tips. With the sail down, I trolled deeper trying to find the blue water. Our speed was around 5 knots so we put up the small sail to increase the speed to about 6.5knots. The lures were tracking beautifully. There was hardly any white water behind the yacht and the teaser looked stunning. I tacked shallower at 600m then deeper again after crossing the 250m contours. We decided to test the sounder to see what depth we could read and were pleasantly surprised when it lost bottom at 1200m!!! The water was still a strange colour so I suggested we head shallower to where we had seen a few birds and flying fish. By now it was almost 1pm, we were in 800m and we were getting despondent. We were all dosing off when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a flash behind the teaser. I looked again and saw a shortbill spearfish behind the big lure next to the teaser. I shouted to Ettiene as the fish took the lure. The reel ran for a second or so before it stopped. I ran to the 50Lbs rod with the small lure on it and pulled it into the area where the fish was. Almost immediately the lure was smashed... hookup! The other lines were cleared in no time and we strapped Magda into the harness.

We knew it was a small fish so I just put the motors into neutral. The sail kept us going at a perfect pace. Magda brought the fish to the boat relatively quickly and Ettienne took the trace. The fish was hooked in the eye and bled a lot. It was still very feisty and Etts had to let go of the trace to prevent the hook from pulling. We decided to load the fish due to its injuries and when Etts took the trace again, he lifted the spearfish into the boat. Only then did we see that it was a really big shortbill ... and Magda’s first billfish! Awesome.

Etts and I set the lines again and sat back to relax. It was going to take a while to get home so we decided to head in the harbour’s direction. We were in 160m when Etts shouted “Daar gaan hy!” I looked back to see a big splash on the same lure that the shortbill ate. The 50Lbs reel took off smoking! We pulled the motors to neutral and cleared the deck. Moments later, the fish erupted out the water tearing up the surface. After about 10 jumps it ran shallower at speed. Hendrik was on the rod and kept the fish under control while I floored it at 6 knots, helping him gain line. I found it extremely difficult to maneuver the large yacht with the small motors, but luckily the fish settled down and stayed away from the rudders.

With most of the line back on the reel, I could back up on the fish to stop it from taking too much line. Hendrik used the swell and we gained line slowly but constantly. After 45mins, we had the windon splice out of the water. Before we could grab it, the fish sounded again. After another 15 minutes, the leader came up again. This time Ettienne managed to get hold of the leader and lifted the fish to the surface where he grabbed the bill.

It was Hendrik’s first marlin and he asked to load it. Etts and I obliged and put on the bill rope to pull it on board. We managed to get the head out the water before we ran out of steam. Zach took the end of the rope and attached it to one of the sail winches. One flick of a switch and the fish sailed onto the deck ... no mess no fuss! With the fish lying on the huge deck, it looked about 130kg, but it was in excellent condition.

We had drifted a few kilometres and were straight off the harbour mouth. It took us 2 hours to get back to harbour before we could weigh the fish. We eventually had it on the gantry at 7:30pm. The shortbill weighed 21kg and the blue pulled the scale to 170,6kg! Not bad on 24kg line ... 7:1.

All in all it was a great day and I thank all who made it possible. We had to change our style of fishing from the normal rushed pace to a laid back, ‘come what may‘ attitude ... I must say, I could get used to it!